The state that is still regarded by Thai historical tradition as the ΓÇ£first Thai kingdomΓÇ¥ was Sukhothai. There were, in fact, other contemporaneous Thai states such as Lanna and Phayao, both in present-day northern Thailand, but the Thai historical imagination has been most stirred by Sukhothai. Even today, the evocative ruins of Sukhothai and its twin city Si Satchanalai conjure up images of material prosperity, artistic greatness, and Buddhist piety. Indeed, Sukhothai is remembered as much for its art and architecture as for its political achievements.
Sukhothai was originally a chiefdom under the sway of the Khmer empire; the oldest monuments in the city were built in the Khmer style or else show clear Khmer influence. During the first half of the 13th century the Thai rulers of Sukhothai threw off the Khmer yoke and set up an independent Thai kingdom. One of the victorious Thai chieftains became the first king of Sukhothai, with the name of Si Intharathit (Sri Indraditya). SukhothaiΓÇÖs power and influence expanded in all directions through conquest (the Khmer were driven southwards), by a far-sighted network of marriage alliances with the ruling families of other Thai states, and by the use of a common religion, Theravada Buddhism, to cement relations with other states.
Si IntharathitΓÇÖs son and successor was King Ramkhamhaeng, undoubtedly the most famous and dynamic monarch ever to rule the Sukhothai kingdom. Much of what we know about Sukhothai in the 13th century derives from a 1292 stone inscription attributed to King Ramkhamhaeng. Which is considered a seminal source of Sukhothai history. Though problematic, the inscription is considered a seminal source of Sukhothai history, as well as a masterpiece of Thai literature. It eloquently extols the benevolence of King RamkhamhaengΓÇÖs rule, the power and prosperity of Sukhothai. The king was accessible to his people, for example, he had a bell hung in front
of the palace gate so that any subject with a grievance could ring it and ask for justice:
ΓÇ£King Ramkhamhaeng, the ruler of the kingdom, hears the call; he goes and questions the man, examines the case, and decides it justly for him. So the people of. . .Sukhothai praise him.ΓÇ¥
According to the inscription, the king did not levy road tolls or taxes on merchandise, nor did he tax his subjectsΓÇÖ inheritance at all. Such a paternalistic and benevolent style of kingship has caused posterity to regard the Sukhothai kingdomΓÇÖs hey-day as a ΓÇ£golden ageΓÇ¥ in Thai history.
Even allowing for some hyperbole in King RamkhamhaengΓÇÖs inscription, it is probably true that Sukhothai was prosperous and well-governed. Its economy was self-sufficient.The Thai peopleΓÇÖs basic diet was the same as that of many other people in Southeast Asia, consisting of rice and fish as staple foods, both of which were plentiful according to the inscription:
ΓÇ£In the time of King Ramkhamhaeng this land of Sukhothai is thriving. There are fish in the water and rice in the fields.ΓÇ¥
Sukhothai may well have been self-sufficient as far as food was concerned, but its prosperity also depended on commerce. During the Sukhothai period glazed ceramic wares known as ΓÇ£sangkhalokΓÇ¥ were produced in great quantities at kilns in Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai and exported regularly to other countries in the South China Sea area, specimens having been found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Sukhothai also traded with China through the traditional Chinese tributary system: the Thai king was content to send tribute to the Chinese emperor and be classified as a vassal, in return for permission to sell Thai goods and buy Chinese products.
Although animistic beliefs remained potent in Sukhothai, King Ramkhamhaeng and his successors were all devout Buddhist rulers who made merit on a large scale. The major cities of the kingdom were therefore full of monasteries, many of which were splendid examples of Thai Buddhist architecture. Sukhothai adopted the Ceylonese school of Theravada Buddhism, beginning with King RamkhamhaengΓÇÖs invitation to Ceylonese monks to come and purify Buddhism in his kingdom. This Ceylonese influence manifested itself not only in matters of doctrine but also in religious architecture. The bell-shaped stupa, so familiar in Thai Buddhist architecture, was derived from Ceylonese models. Sukhothai-style Buddha images are distinctive for their elegance and stylized beauty, and Sukhothai artists introduced the graceful form of the ΓÇ£walking BuddhaΓÇ¥ into Buddhist sculpture.
SukhothaiΓÇÖs cultural importance in Thai history also derives from the fact that the Thai script evolved into a definite form during King RamkhamhaengΓÇÖs time, taking as its models the ancient Mon and Khmer scripts. Indeed, this remarkable king is credited with having invented the Thai script.
King Si Intharathit and King Ramkhamhaeng were both warrior kings and extended their territories far and wide. Their successors, however, could not maintain such a far-flung empire. Some of these later kings were more remarkable for their religious piety and extensive building activities than for their warlike exploits. An example of this type of Buddhist ruler was King Mahathammaracha Lithai, believed to have been the compiler of the Tribhumikatha, an early Thai book on the Buddhist universe or cosmos. The political decline of Sukhothai was, however, not wholly due to deficiencies in leadership. It resulted rather from the emergence of strong Thai states further south, whose political and economic power began to challenge Sukhothai during the latter half of the 14th century. These southern states, especially Ayutthaya, were able to deny Sukhothai access to the area.
The Sukhothai kingdom did not die a quick death. Its decline lasted from the mid-14th until the 15th entury. In 1378, the Ayutthaya King Boromma-racha I subdued SukhothaiΓÇÖs frontier city of Chakangrao (Kamphaengphet), and thereafter Sukhothai became a tributary state of Ayutthaya. Sukhothai attempted to break loose from Ayutthaya but with no real success; in the 15th century it was incorporated into the Ayutthaya kingdom as a province. The focus of Thai history and politics now moved to the central plains of present-day Thailand, where Ayutthaya was establishing itself as a centralized state, its power outstripping not only Sukhothai but also other neighbouring states such as Suphannaphum and Lawo (Lop Buri).
